Reasons to Stay
by PiercetheNightVale
Summary: What could have happened after Callahan kissed Elle if Emmett had a bit more courage
1. Chapter 1

Emmett didn't know what he wanted to say to her, but he knew he wanted to talk to her. He obviously loved her, but he didn't know if he was ready to tell her yet. She might still like Warner. Ever after everything that had happened, Elle might still be in love with Warner. So he didn't really have a reason for waiting outside her dorm room after the party, but he did it anyways.

"There she is," Emmett said happily when he saw her cascade of hair come into view, "Intern of the year." He saw her smile waver and then she was looking away from him. Something was wrong.

"Thank for the help and for all you've done," she said after a moment, "Thank you for treating me decently."

"What's wrong?" Emmett asked. What could have happened between the trial and now to make her like this? She ignored him and kept talking.

"Maybe someday you can visit me. Give me a call, say hello," Elle said sadly.

"Wait, where are you going?" Emmett asked as he blocked her path inside. Elle looked up at him for a moment, he could see the conflict in her eyes. Had something happened at home? Was someone sick? The ideas kept flooding through Emmett's mind as she continued.

"I'm sorry for letting down everyone."

Emmett walked forward and looked at the crying girl in front of him. Her back was turned and he wanted nothing more than to hold her, but all he said was, "What brought on this?" she didn't even seem to be hearing him as she kept apologizing.

"You did your best with a hopeless case," her voice broke again, and so did Emmett's heart. After all the work they'd done, did she still feel this way about herself?

"That's ludicrous," he said, "You are the best thing about this place." He was shocked to hear her say the same thing. Before he could stop himself, Emmett found himself saying, "Elle you should know-" _I love you._

"Callahan hit on me," she interrupted, grabbing his arms.

"He what?"

Elle took a deep breath and pushed back her tears, "He kissed me then he fired me," she said as he tightened his grip on her, "And he made it perfectly clear I don't belong here."

Before Emmett could do anything, she was out of his grip and going back to her dorm, "He's wrong." Emmett called out desperately, "We'll fix it. We'll fight it. Elle, I'll fight for you."

"Oh, Emmett," she said as she caressed his face, "There's no reason for me to stay."

Emmet's hand reached up to hold hers before she could close the door, "Stay for me."

Elle stared at him for a moment, "What?" she asked. Emmett wasn't sure what to say. He could believe he had just said that, but he couldn't take it back now.

"Elle, I want you to stay," he said.

Elle looked up at him. For a moment, Emmett thought she would actually say yes, but she shook her head and gave her a sad smile, "It's not up to me, just let me be legally blonde."

Emmett gripped her hand tighter as she tried to pull away, "I need you to stay," he begged.

"It's not up to me," she repeated as she finally broke his grip, "Just let me be legally blonde."

"Elle!" Emmett yelled as soon as she had closed the door. Instead of a response, all he heard was the lock clicking, "Elle, open the door, please."

"Go away," he heard Elle say, followed by crying. She must be leaning against the door.

 _What about love?_ Emmett thought, _I never mentioned loved. The timing's bad, I know. Perhaps if I made it more clear…_ "You belong right here," he said.

"I'm exactly what they all thought I was," Elle said.

"We both know you're worth so much more," Emmett pleaded, "Please, Elle, open the door."

"Some girls fight hard, some face the trial, some girls were just meant to smile."

"Elle, open this door," Emmett said, suddenly stern, "I'm not letting you leave little Miss Woods comma Elle."

"You can't stop me," she replied after a moment.

"Just watch me," Emmett laughed humorlessly.

"Emmett, just leave," Elle begged.

"No, not until you talk to me," Emmett said. He sat down and leaned against the door, "Y'know, leaving won't help anyone. You're the one who disproved Brooke's affair today. Without you, there's no way she'd get off."

"I'm not even on the case anymore," Elle replied.

"I don't think Brooke will like that," Emmett commented, "She might even fire Callahan."

"She can't," Elle replied, "No one else wants her case."

"You do," Emmett said.

"Again, I was fired."

"You were fired from the legal team, not from Harvard," he said, "You could still represent Brooke."

"I'm just a student," Elle said hopelessly.

"You can still defend her, you just need a supervisor," Emmett replied.

"Which I don't have."

"Elle, I'm a licensed attorney," Emmett said.

"No," Elle said immediately, "I'm not going to let you do that."

"Why?" Emmett asked.

"You've worked so hard to get where you are."

"So have you."

"Becoming a lawyer was never my dream," Elle said, "I have a career in California I can go back to. I'm not going to let you give up everything for someone like me."

"Someone like you?" Emmett asked, "What does that even mean."

Suddenly, the door opened, causing Emmett to fall back a bit. He struggled to stand back up as he was faced with an Elle he rarely saw. She was no longer crying, she just looked at him with steely determination, "I'm not representing Brooke."

"What did you mean Elle?" Emmett said, "About how I can't supervise someone like you?"

"I have to get up early tomorrow to pack, Emmett," Elle said, "I'm going to sleep"

Emmett shoved his foot in the doorframe as Elle shut the door, "No, tell me what you meant," he repeated, not willing to take no for an answer this time.

"You know what they say about me, Emmett," Elle said, tears threatening to fall again.

"Elle, I don't listen to what people say about you," Emmett replied honestly, "I only know how I feel about you."

"You really don't know do you?" Elle said as she stepped back from the door. Emmett wasn't sure if it was an invitation, but he came in anyway and shut the door behind him, "Even after getting the internship, people still judged me, Emmett. But I… I thought I had actually gotten in because someone at this school thought I could be a lawyer. But I was wrong. I'm exactly what they think I am."

"Which is?" Emmett asked.

"Some slut sleeping her way to the top," Elle said, choking up.

"Elle, that's not true."

"The blonde bimbo using her tits to get what she wants," she continued.

"Elle-"

"Privileged bratty ditz with nothing between her ears."

"Elle," Emmett snapped, grabbing her arms and pulling her towards him, "That isn't you."

"Isn't it though?" she asked.

"No," he said stubbornly.

"Everything I accomplished this year was because Callahan wanted to sleep with me," she sobbed. Emmett couldn't resist anymore and he pulled Elle into a fierce hug.

"Do you think I would have tutored you every night if I thought you were nothing more than a pretty face?" Emmett asked into her hair. He could tell that Elle was trying her best not to break down again, but it was a losing battle. Soon, Elle's arms wrapped around him tightly as she cried. He wasn't so much hugging her now as supporting her, but he still enjoyed the feeling of her pressed against him.

"You realize," Elle said between sobs, "That you're the only one at this school that believes in me, right?"

"That's not true."

"It is true, Emmett," she said as she pushed just enough away to look up at him, "And I appreciate you, more than anything, but I can't be somewhere where no one has any faith in me."

"Elle…" Emmett said hopelessly.

"It's getting late, Emmett," she commented, "You should go home."

"Promise me something," Emmett asked, "Promise me you won't make any rash decisions tonight."

"Emmett, don't make this harder than it has to be."

"Please," he replied, "I know you're upset and you have a right to be, but don't do something you'll regret a few months from now. Please, Elle, please be here in the morning."

"I already booked a flight," she confessed.

"Don't get on it, please, Elle, you'll see in the morning that you belong here," Emmett looked at her, expecting her to agree, but he saw no change in her eyes. She didn't believe him. She really didn't know how much she was worth. Emmett wouldn't let her leave, but there was only one thing he could think of to get her to stay.

"I'm not leaving," Emmett said.

"What?"

"I'm not letting you runaway in the middle of the night, Little miss Woods comma Elle," he repeated, acting braver than he felt, "I'm staying right here."

"Don't be ridiculous," Elle said as she pulled out of his embrace. Emmett immediately missed the feeling of her pressed against him, "Boys aren't allowed in girl's dorms at night. You could get fired."

"I don't care," he replied, "You're staying here at least one more day."

Elle stared at him, still not sure if he was serious, "Fine," she said finally, "Do what you want, but I'm going to sleep."

Emmett gave himself a mental high five as he watched Elle retreat to the bathroom. She hadn't agreed to stay, but she wasn't going to leave tonight. It was a small victory, but if there was anything Harvard had taught him, it was to appreciate the small victories.

When Elle returned from the bathroom, her makeup was gone and she was clad in a pair of flannel pants and a tank top with her hair twisted up in a messy bun on the top of her head. This was certainly a side Emmett had never seen, but he loved it the same as every other version of her.

"This is the first time you've seen me without makeup, huh?" Elle asked when she noticed him staring, "sorry to disappoint."

"Disappoint, Elle, you could never," Emmett replied. _You're so beautiful,_ is what he wanted to say. But that certainly wasn't something a best friend said during an extremely platonic sleepover.

"No matter what happens, I have to get up early in the morning," Elle said as she sat on her bed, "So I'm going to sleep."

Before Emmett could say anything in response, the lights were off. Emmett wasn't quite sure what to do. He hadn't really thought this through. He didn't have any clothes, or a toothbrush or even a blanket. He had been completely irrational. Elle made him irrational.

"I still have your sweatshirt from last time," Elle said, "If you want to sleep in that."

"Yes please," Emmett said.

Elle sighed and got out of bed. Emmett immediately felt bad that he was making her get up, but it only took him a minute to remember his reason for being here. The light came on and soon Elle was handing him his sweatshirt.

"I'm sorry," Elle said suddenly as she sat down next to him.

"For what?" Emmett asked. What could Elle possibly have to be sorry about?

"For the way I acted earlier," she continued, "I was acting like a child."

"Elle, no you weren't," Emmett said forcefully, "You had every right to be upset. Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't go report Callahan."

"It was probably my fault anyways," Elle said casually, "I was probably leading him on, or giving him signals or something."

"Elle," Emmett said, she flinched back slightly at the sudden change in his tone. Emmett took a deep breath, he didn't want to hurt her even more, "Elle, for someone so smart, how can you be such an idiot?"

"What?"

"Callahan's a creep, Elle, none of this was your fault. You're not the first girl he's done this to, and I'm sure you won't be the last."

"I'm gonna be a laughingstock," Elle said biting her lip, "More than I already am."

"You're not-"

"We've been over this, Em, remember? Blonde slut, bimbo, it's only gonna get worse now."

"You're talking like you're gonna stay," Emmett tried not to get his hopes up, but Elle never said things she didn't mean.

"I'm warning you, if I stay it's gonna get bad. I need to switch some of my classes around, and I already lost the internship, it's not gonna be fun being my friend."

"As if that's gonna stop me," Emmett joked.

"As much as I love talking to you," Elle said with a yawn, "It really is late, and there is class tomorrow."

"So you're staying?" Emmett asked hopefully.

"For now," Elle allowed. It was yes, it wasn't "of course I would never you." But it was something, and it made Emmett happy for the moment.

* * *

This was originally intended to just be a one shot, but I don't want to end it there. So it might have just one more chapter, or it might turn into a full length story. It just depends on what you guys want


	2. Chapter 2

A.N. So I decided that this story is going to greatly differ from canon. The biggest change is that there's going to be a gap before Brooke's trial.

Elle had said she was going to go to sleep, but before she knew it, she was wrapped up in a conversation with Emmett. She didn't even remember how it had gotten started, but somehow she was sitting across from with her legs crisscrossed talking passionately about the logistics of coordinating makeup with an outfit.

"Men just don't understand," she huffed after the millionth time Emmett had rolled his eyes.

"I don't, Elle," Emmett admitted, "I don't get how eyeliner can affect the rest of the outfit."

"I told you," she sighed, "It has to do with color theory. Ask any art student, the slightest change in color can affect an entire piece."

"Okay, but eyeliner though, it's just a small line-"

"Okay, if you don't understand the effect of eyeliner, I can't even have this conversation with you."

"Sorry, I should have known to do my reading before I had a conversation with you," he grinned.

"You're making fun of me."

"I'm not!"

"You so are," she sulked as she crossed her arms and turned away from him slightly. Emmett could see the frown take over her face again. They had been smiling so much for the last few hours that he had almost forgotten the circumstances behind their sleepover. He could almost physically see the memories from earlier reenter Elle's mind.

"I swear, Elle," Emmett said sincerely as he instinctively reached for her hand, "I'm not making fun of you."

"Never mind," she said as she shook her head, "It was a stupid conversation to start. There aren't even a lot of girls who care about stuff like this, let alone a guy like you."

"And what kind of guy am I?"

"A really masculine one," she continued.

"Thank you?" Emmett said.

"It's not a bad thing," Elle said with a small laugh, "It's just a fact."

They two sat in silence for a while, not really knowing what to talk about now. They normally talked about anything and everything, but it dawned on them that one of them wasn't always educated on the topic. They enjoyed their conversations, but Emmett didn't know fashion and Elle didn't know… well, anything really masculine.

"If I ask something, will you be offended?" Elle asked slowly.

"No," Emmett replied immediately.

"I don't get why we're friends," Elle said, "We don't really have anything in common."

In truth, it was something Emmett himself had wondered before. Sometimes when he went with her shopping, or she educated him on her ever growing makeup collection, he wondered just _how_ they had become to close so fast. He was sure it went both ways, Emmett talked a lot about baseball and law, which he was sure Elle didn't care about. But somehow, she always seemed completely invested in a conversation, no matter what it was about.

"Come here," Emmett said as he gestured back to where Elle had been sitting next to him before, "come on, I'm not going to bite you."

Elle slowly made her way back to the edge of the bed and looked at Emmett. She knew it was only because of what happened tonight that she was questioning her friendship with Emmett. But honestly, someone she trusted had only wanted to fuck her, and Elle just needed to know there was no one else like that in her life. When she made eye contact with Emmett, there was something in his eyes she hadn't seen before. It was more than sincerity, but she just couldn't place it.

"I can tell what you're thinking, Elle," Emmett commented.

"Oh?" Elle asked. She really hoped not. Emmett was her best friend, and she really didn't want him knowing about her insecurities.

"You wear your heart on you sleeve," he said with amusement, "It's something I love about you. I always know what you're thinking."

"Where is this going?" Elle asked.

"Elle, look at me," he said as he impulsively brushed his hand against her jaw to make her turn her head back, "I'm not Callahan, okay."

As Elle took a moment to process his words, Emmett was silently freaking out. Mentioning Callahan was a risk, but it needed to be said. Elle really was like an open book, and he could clearly see how Callahan's betrayal had started to make her question every relationship she had. To be honest, it kind of hurt that Elle was even thinking he only wanted her physically. Yes, Emmett was in love with her, and yes, someday he would like to sleep with her. But he didn't love her just because she was pretty. She was smart, and funny, and brave, and kind, and a million other things that made him fall in love. Of course, if he had said any of that, it would have definitely scared Elle away.

"I know you're not," Elle said, shaking her head, "I know that."

"Talk to me, Elle," Emmett pleaded, "I can tell you have more to say."

"It's just…" Elle said biting her lip, "Warner dumped me as soon as he needed something more than a pretty face, and Callahan fired me when I rejected him. I'm just worried you'll dump me as soon as I stop being useful."

"Elle," Emmett said, "You're not 'useful', that's never how I've thought of you. You're my best friend, and that's not gonna change."

Before Elle could stop herself, she leaned her head against Emmett's shoulder and shut her eyes. Emmett froze. He wasn't sure what he said to cause this reaction, but he was glad he'd said it. Emmett relaxed a little bit, and looked down at her.

"Y'know," he said quietly, "If anything, I'm worried you'll dump me as soon as you don't need a tutor."

Elle sat up and looked back up at him. Emmett immediately missed her weight on his shoulder, "That will never happen, Emmett, never."

 _Damn it._ He wanted to kiss her. Right now, he had the undeniable urge to move his head a few inches forward and kiss her. He _needed_ to kiss her. Against his will, he leaned forward a little until the only part of her face he could see was her eyes. They had widened, but he couldn't tell if it was in shock, or horror, or something else entirely. He was about to kiss her. And ruin _everything._

And then Elle yawned, and Emmett pulled back, "We were supposed to be asleep hours ago," Emmett laughed as he willed his heart to stop beating so fast.

"I lose track of time with you," she said sleepily, her eyes drifting closed. As Emmett's stomach did a backflip, he felt Elle's head on his shoulder again.

"Elle?" he asked half hoping she had been too asleep to notice that he had been a moment away from kissing her, "Elle?"

He only got soft snoring in response. Emmett was grinning like an idiot, he knew, but he couldn't stop it. Elle Woods, love of his life, was actually asleep on his shoulder and she showed no signs of waking up anytime soon.

"Goodnight," Emmett said as he laid his head on hers and closed his eyes, "Little Miss Woods Comma Elle."

* * *

Elle hadn't even remembered falling asleep, but next thing she knew she was being rudely woken up by sunlight pouring through her window. As she blinked the sleep from her eyes she tried to remember everything that had happened last night. It had been such a whirlwind of suck that she honestly couldn't exactly recall everything from the party to falling asleep. That was when she noticed Emmett. He was asleep with his head against her mattress. At some point during the night, their hands had found each other. She cringed at realizing she had probably spent all night with her head on his shoulder. He'd probably hate her for the neck ache later.

It wasn't surprising that in all the emotion of last night, she actually hadn't sent Emmett away. He probably wouldn't have left anyways, but still, she should have at least tried to preserve his reputation. She glanced at her clock, there was only half an hour until class started and she needed to shower, do her hair and makeup, pick an outfit, and a million other things that normally took a full hour of her morning. As much as she loved holding hands with Emmett, she untangled their fingers and stepped into the shower, not quite sure how she would pull off an acceptable look in half an hour.

When Elle emerged from the bathroom, she was clad in a knee length white skirt and a pink blouse. Her hair was up in a high bun since she didn't really have time to do anything more elaborate. As Elle grabbed her books for today's classes (thankfully not criminal law), she gave Emmett, who was still asleep one final glance before leaving her dorm.

* * *

It could have been hours, it could have been days before Emmett woke up. He honestly couldn't remember a night when he had slept more than a few hours. Between tutoring Elle and all the busywork Callahan had him do, it was a miracle he was still a functioning person. Not that he'd ever give up tutoring Elle for the world, but it did make sleep more difficult. So when Emmett woke up in daylight alone, he was a bit disoriented.

He had the fleeting thought that he _probably_ needed to be in a class, but he was more concerned with where Elle was. After everything that had happened last night, there was no way Elle actually could have left without telling him. Right? Rational thought was something Emmett didn't have when it came to Elle. He grabbed his phone and frantically dialed her number. When she didn't pick up he texted her, one, two, three times.

 _Where are you?_

 _You left without waking me._

 _Elle, please answer._

" _I'm in class, idiot,"_ came Elle's reply about 5 minutes later. A mixture or relief, pride, and worry filled his body. Relief that she was still in the state. Pride that she'd had the guts to go the class on her own. And worry that Elle had been right last night, and news of her and Callahan had spread.

Emmett finally allowed himself to glance at the clock to see just how long he had slept in. it was nearly 10 AM, and Callahan's class would be in full swing. _Who cares?_ Emmett thought. He couldn't work for Callahan after what he had done to tell. Elle would be disappointed in him giving up a hard earned position, but he didn't care. Even if it hadn't been Elle, he would steal feel the same way. If Emmett was going to be a successful lawyer, he was going to do it working door someone he respected, and he didn't respect Callahan anymore. Emmett just hoped Elle would actually understand his reasoning.

* * *

Elle didn't know what she had expected when she went back to campus, but she was nervous as hell. She'd experienced her fair share of nasty rumors back at UCLA, and she really didn't want a repeat of her sophomore year (that was a story for another day). So she was happy when things seemed relatively normal. She went to her family law class, she answered questions, and she managed a few text messages to Emmett. She was a normal law student.

Maybe by some miracle, Warner had kept his mouth shut for once. Maybe Vivian had talked some sense into him. Elle never thought she'd see Vivian as an ally, but she had seemed to understand what had _actually_ happened last night. Maybe this would blow over.

She should have known it was too good to be true. Warner. She should have known Warner would try to rub this in her face.

"Hello, Marilyn," he whistled as she left family law.

"Not today, Warner," Elle replied. _Don't let him see any weakness,_ she told herself.

"A month ago you would have killed to talk to me," Warner mused, "I wonder what's gotten into you?" Emmett took a long, uncomfortable pause, causing Elle to brace herself for whatever awful thing he'd say, "Or rather who?"

"Whatever you think you saw, Warner, you didn't," Elle said quickly.

"So you didn't kiss Callahan?"

"He kissed me, I hit him. Ask Vivian, she saw the whole thing."

"That's not what he said," Warner said as his lips twisted into a smile.

"You talked to Callahan about this?"

"Oh yes," Warner replied, "And I head through the grapevine that he wants to report you for 'unprofessional behavior'"

"No," Elle said mostly to herself. No. This couldn't be happening. Callahan had fired her, but she didn't think he'd be so petty as to get her expelled. But then again, he had cheated on his wife with a 21-year-old, who knew what he was capable of.

"It's a good thing you're at Harvard," Warner said, "Because you might need an attorney."


	3. Chapter 3

Elle knew she needed to calm herself down before she went back to her dorm. On the off chance Emmett was still there, she couldn't let him know what had happened. He was already worried enough that she would leave, this would only make things worse.

She was done with classes for today, so she had as long as she wanted to walk and get herself in a better mental place. Eventually, she found herself wandering to Paulette's. Emmett would probably start to worry, but she couldn't think about talking to anyone but her trusted hairdresser.

"Elle!" squealed Paulette when she entered, "It's been forever!"

"I know," Elle replied as she hung up her coat, "My split ends are so bad."

"Come here, hon," she said, "I have a break in appointments."

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to inconvenience you."

"Nonsense," Paulette gestured to the sinks, "Besides, something tells me you have something else you want to talk about."

Elle didn't meant to, but she told Paulette everything as her hair was being shampooed. She couldn't help it, there was something so familiar about sharing gossip at a hair salon. But instead of gossip, it was her life and it was very much falling apart.

"You should press charges," Paulette aid matter-of-factly when Elle was done.

"It's my word against his, Paulette," Elle lamented.

"That's bullshit, Elle, he came onto you," Paulette replied, "Pardon my French."

"I know," Elle sighed, "But all I can do is wait and see if this will blow over."

"Men don't get over rejection easily, sweetie," She replied.

"I know," Elle said, "But I honestly don't know what else to do."

"What about that cute lawyer boy of yours? The scruffy one," Paulette offered, "He seems like he knows what he's doing."

"Emmett?" Elle said, "Oh god no, I can't get him involved in this. He'd lose his job."

"Elle-"

"No, Paulette, not Emmett," Elle repeated, "You have to swear to me that anything I say about Callahan falls under girl code."

"We're not teenagers," Paulette muttered.

"Swear to me," Elle said seriously.

"Fine," she sighed, "I won't tell your boy anything that happens with that creep."

"Thank you."

"Now," Paulette said with a sad smile, "Let's get those sad ends cut."

* * *

Elle knew she'd feel better after a haircut and a talk with Paulette, and she was practically bouncing as she made her way back to her dorm. To her surprise, Emmett was standing at her door just like last night.

"You're in a good mood," he commented as she gently brushed him aside to open the door.

"Y'know, haircut," Elle replied, "Does wonders for a girl's self-esteem."

Emmett awkwardly stood in the still open doorway as Elle made herself at home in her room. He wasn't entirely sure what to do now. He had expected Callahan to do something to make Elle's life worse. Revenge was always his style, but Elle seemed happier than she had in weeks.

"I didn't leave the door open for the breeze, Em."

"Oh, right," Emmett muttered as he entered and shut the door behind him. Elle was already settled on her bed with her law books spread out, "How was your day."

"Fine," Elle said as she flipped through her family law homework.

"Fine?"

"Yeah, fine," Elle said, "It was a normal day."

"Huh," Emmett said as he took his normal seat at her desk.

"What?" Elle said.

"Nothing," Emmett replied.

They sat in silence for a while as Elle started her homework. She didn't ask for help and Emmett didn't offer it.

"Okay, you clearly have something to say," Elle said as she closed the book.

"I'm just sitting here," Emmett replied defensively.

"No, you're trying to work up the courage to ask me something," Elle said, "I know the difference."

"Fine," Emmett said as he turned fully towards her, "You made such a big deal out of this last night, but you practically skipped home."

"I what?" Elle asked. Emmett recognized the look in her eye. He had said something wrong by accident, and Elle was giving him the glare that said it wasn't going to be fixed easily.

"Elle, I-"

"I 'made a big deal out of this'?"

"That's not what I meant," he said.

"It's what you said," Elle replied. Emmett was at a loss. It had been a poor choice of words, but was it a lie? She had been set on going home last night, and she was back to her normal self today.

"Look, I'm trying to do my homework, and you're kind of distracting me," Elle said coldly. Elle had been mad at him before, but this was different. When Elle was angry she yelled and argued. When Elle was hurt, she made up an excuse. He hadn't just made her angry, he had hurt her.

"Elle…"

"I'll see you later, Em," Elle said. It wasn't a goodbye, it was a warning. She didn't want to fight, she wanted him to leave before this escalated. For once in his life, Emmett did the smart thing and left her.

* * *

The next day, Emmett entered Callahan's class with his fists clenched and a letter of resignation in his bag. It didn't matter that things hadn't escalated, Emmett still couldn't work for him. In truth, that's what Emmett wanted to tell Elle last night, but other things had gotten in his way. But as he entered the almost full classroom, Callahan wasn't in sight. He was always one for dramatic entrances, but Emmett was late himself, and Callahan never started his class late.

All the whispering stopped as Emmett entered the room. All but from one person. The one person Emmett truly hated in this class. Warner always annoyed Emmett, but he suddenly panicked at hearing Elle's name on his lips. It was then that Emmett noticed a certain blonde absent from the class.

"Warner," Emmett said as he leaned against Callahan's desk, "Come here."

Warner gave his friends a look, but didn't argue. The chatter resumed as Warner made his way up to Emmett, "What?" Warner asked with an unprecedented amount of disdain.

"It seems you know what going on," Emmett said.

"You don't?" Warner laughed, "And here I thought you and Elle were best friends."

"We are," Emmett said before he could stop himself. Warner was baiting him, and Emmett needed to stop himself from falling for it, "But she said everything was fine."

"Elle was never a good liar when we were dating," Warner said.

"What's going on?" Emmett asked with worry knotting in his stomach. He could normally read Elle like an open book, but had she hid something from him last night? It's not like he was much interested in listening to her anyways. It was entirely possible he'd just been too dumb to figure anything out.

"Callahan's pressing charges."

"What?"

"Not, like criminal charges," Warner explained. _Obviously,_ Emmett thought. How had this guy gotten into Harvard? "He's reporting her to the Discipline Board for unprofessional behavior."

"Her?" No, that couldn't be right. Elle was the victim in this. If anything, Callahan was the one who should be facing punishment.

"Yeah, she came onto him after Brooke's trial," Warner said.

"No, that's not what happened," Emmett insisted.

"I was there, dude," Warner replied, "She was sitting _very_ close to him, touching him, then they were kissing."

"Excuse me," Emmett said, not being able to take it anymore. It was obvious Callahan wasn't showing up. A substitute should get there soon and Emmett needed some air. As soon as he was out of the classroom, Emmett was pulling his phone out of his pocket and frantically calling Elle. He left voicemail after voicemail, apologizing, saying he knew everything and would help her.

He had been so stupid. He had been telling her two days ago about how he could always tell what she was thinking. How could he not have seen this? The only reason he had left so easily last night was because he thought he'd be seeing her this morning. But now, he didn't know when she'd talk to him again. He would blame her if she never forgave him.

When Elle was angry, she yelled and argued. When she was hurt, she made excuses. Everything she had said last night was an excuse to hide what she was feeling. Emmett saw that now, and hoped it wasn't too late.

 _Elle please,_ he texted, _I'm so sorry._

He finally got a reply. Only 6 words that did nothing to help.

* * *

She couldn't go to class. She couldn't face criminal law, or Callahan. OR Warner. Or Vivian. Elle thought she might have been able to do it with Emmett by her side, but he wasn't on her side. After everything, Elle couldn't believe that Emmett of all people was the one to question her. She'd never been a good liar, and Elle thought she was being so obvious about everything that had happened. But either she was better at hiding her true feelings, or Emmett just didn't care.

She was in the middle of a self-pity fest when she heard the knock on her door. She sat up and wiped the remainder of her tears away and answered the door.

"Miss Woods?" a woman she'd never seen before asked.

"Yes?"

"I'm from the Disciplinary Committee and there are some things we need to ask," she said, "Will you come with me?"

"Um, may I get dressed?" Elle said. The woman nodded and Elle nearly collapsed against the door as she shut it. She knew this was coming, but she still wasn't prepared. Elle had never been seriously in trouble in her life, and she had no idea how to deal with this. She dressed in her most lawyer-ly outfit and followed the woman back to a building she'd never been to.

It wasn't until an hour into questioning that she noticed the missed calls from Emmett. She only had time to type a short, impersonal response. Not at all representative of what she was actually feeling. _I'm sort of busy right now._


	4. Chapter 4

Emmett knew where she must be, but he couldn't go to her. His emotions were running too high and he would be no help to her right now. But he couldn't just stay still. He felt absolutely useless, and there was nothing he could do about it. Going back to Callahan's class was out of the question. He couldn't stand listening to the other students whispering about Elle when they didn't even know what they were talking about.

Honestly, Emmett's confidant of late had been the same as Elle's. He didn't have much in common with Paulette, but she had been giving him cheap haircuts every now and then as payment for getting her dog back. Emmett had tried to tell her that wasn't necessary, but she insisted, so every few weeks (it could have been every few months, but Elle had insisted he kept his scruff under control to be respectable) Paulette would give him a trim and listen to this week's problems. He was a little early, but honestly, he needed the talk more than the haircut.

"Lawyer boy!" Paulette exclaimed as he entered the store, "Long time, no see."

"I talked to you last week," he laughed.

"Hairdresser time works differently," she shrugged, "Where's Elle? She normally has to drag you in here kicking and screaming."

"That's actually what I wanted to talk about…"

"Oh…you know don't you," Paulette replied.

"What? You knew?"

"Honey, a girl tells her hair stylist everything," Paulette replied as she gestured for him to sit.

"She didn't even tell me, Paulette," Emmett sighed as she began cutting his hair, "Why would she tell me he was trying to press charges?"

"She didn't want to worry you," Paulette replied.

"She's my best friend, she's allowed to worry me," he said.

"Don't ask me how I know, but I know that she doesn't want you involved in this," Paulette said.

"Doesn't want me involved. Paulette-"

"I'm sworn to secrecy, kid," She snapped, "I've already said too much."

"What am I going to do?"

"Do you want me to be honest or nice?" Paulette said, and then continued before Emmett could answer, "Elle always wants to try and do things for herself. She grew up with people thinking she couldn't take care of herself, and she always wants to prove them wrong. Wait until she realizes she needs help. She'll come back, honey."

"What if it's too late?" Emmett asked, "Callahan's a dick, but he's a genius. He could ruin her."

"Don't underestimate her," Paulette warned, "She's smarter than anyone gives her credit for. Maybe she won't even need you."

"Paulette!"

"Just kidding, Lawyer boy," she said, "As much as I love talking with you, I have a client coming in ten minutes and need the chair."

"Oh, right," Emmett said as he stood up. He had never actually been her without Elle before. She and Paulette always consulted each other about everything they wanted to try on Emmett's hair. It was weird being here alone.

"Don't be a stranger, Em" Paulette said.

"See you later," he said with as much cheer as he could muster.

* * *

He wondered around the neighborhood for a bit lost in his thoughts. He couldn't believe that Elle had told Paulette all of this and not him. Especially the part about the charges. Emmett could have helped her. He could have been there with her right now, but Elle just had to try and prove herself. _Just because she has some chip on her shoulder,_ Emmett thought. Of course she did. He was the one who convinced her to put it there. She had a chip on her shoulder, and now she was driven as hell. But she was supposed to be driven about passing classes, not trying to handle something by herself when she was clearly in over her head. Callahan was ruthless and he wouldn't pull any punches.

His phone vibrated in his pocket then, another short message from Elle. _Can we talk?_ Emmett took his time responding. He didn't want to sound too eager and he didn't want to reveal that Paulette had told him anything. _Meet back at your dorm?_ He responded. A few minutes later came her reply _I'll be there in ten minutes._

* * *

Elle was tired. She was beginning to understand what witnesses felt after a trial. She was mentally and physically exhausted after having to recount every gory detail of every encounter she had ever had with Callahan. _This is your own fault. Elle,_ she thought that whole time. It was her fault for not seeing that Callahan liked her. It was her fault for not realizing that there was no way she could have gotten that internship on her own. It was her fault she probably had led him on in some way. As much as she wanted to ask Emmett to come to her rescue, it was her own fault and she had to deal with it on her own.

But the moment Elle was out of that room, her resolve had crumbled. She had stopped being mad at him the moment she realized how screwed she was. But Emmett was probably still mad at her about last night, and she needed him. She always needed him. She should have just told him what Callahan was doing, but she just couldn't do it. She was pathetic, and she just wanted to be pathetic on her own. But he had called her, and texted her. He had proved Elle wrong. He did care, she had just been too good of a liar last night.

 _Can we talk?_ She asked. This wasn't something Elle could convey over text. She needed Emmett in person. The reply came a moment later _meet back at your dorm?_ Elle smiled. It was so like Emmett to reply in 2 seconds flat. She sent a quick reply and practically sprinted back to her dorm. When she saw Emmett already leaning against her door, she couldn't stop all the feelings she'd kept bottled up all morning from spilling out. She crashed against Emmett and wrapped her arms tightly around him. Before Elle had the sense to pull away, Emmett hugged her back just as tightly.

"I'm such an idiot, Emmett," Elle sniffled against his chest after she had calmed down a bit, "I actually thought I could do this."

"Do what?" he asked.

"All of this. I thought I could help with Brooke's case, and graduate, and get Warner back," Elle thought, "For a few days, I actual thought I was Harvard material."

"Elle, you are."

"I couldn't even get through a few hours of questioning without a breakdown," She said, "How could I ever be a lawyer?"

"I thought you didn't want to be."

"I didn't. I don't." Elle said, "I just… I thought I could. But now I see I'm just the stupid girl everyone thinks I am."

"Elle, let's go inside." She nodded and soon they were both sitting on Elle's bed. Emmett was trying to decide if he should let her know how much he knew, or if he should wait for Elle to tell her himself.

"You know everything, don't you," Elle said after a moment,

"About what?" Emmett replied innocently.

"You're such a bad liar," Elle laughed.

"Warner told me," Emmett admitted, "But why didn't you?"

"So Paulette didn't tell you the rest?" Elle asked, "You got a haircut," she shrugged when Emmett gave her an impressed look.

"She said she was sworn to secrecy," Emmett replied, "Tell me what's going on, Elle."

"I might get expelled," Elle said more calmly than she felt.

"What?"

"Callahan is saying that I came onto him," Elle said, "At best, my reputation is ruined"

"You know I won't let this happen, right?" Emmett said.

"I don't want you involved in this, Em," Elle said, "You'll lose your job."

"I don't care about my job."

"Liar."

"Okay, maybe I do care, but I care more about you," Emmett said.

"Callahan will ruin you, Em," Elle said, "And I care about you enough to not let that happen."

"I was going to quit anyway" Emmett said before he could stop himself.

"You were?"

"Do you honestly think could work for him after what he did?" Emmett asked,

"I know how hard you worked to get this job," Elle replied.

"And I'll work harder to get a new one," Emmett replied, "One with a boss who doesn't hit on interns… will you let me help you now?"

Elle slowly wrapped her arms around Emmett again and leaned against him with her chin on his shoulder, "What did I ever do to deserve a friend like you?"

"Do you forgive me for last night then?" Emmett asked carefully as he relished the feeling of Elle's arms around him.

"There's nothing to forgive," she said, "It's late, you should go."

"I can stay again if you'd like," Emmett replied. He cringed at how not casual that sounded, but Elle only smiled in response.

"Thanks, Em, but I'll be okay," Elle said, "Besides, we both need to get some sleep."

"Are you going to go to criminal law tomorrow?" Emmett asked.

"I don't know…" Elle replied.

"If you do, call me," Emmett replied, "I'm not going to let you go alone."

"You're amazing," Elle said as she gave him another quick hug.

"You're not so bad yourself," Emmett smiled. As he walked back to his apartment, he felt for the first time in days that everything might be okay.

A.N. I love the idea of Emmett and Paulette secretly being best friends, since I don't think he really had any close friends before Elle. Tell me what you think


End file.
